TREMONT — The Bass Harbor Memorial Library has been selected as the recipient of a $2,500 grant from the 2019 Maine Library Fund’s Tax Check-Off program.

The grant will be used to fund the library’s Summer Art and Nature Camp, a week long half-day camp for ages 7-11 featuring local artists and utilizing natural materials and found objects along with professional materials to expose children to the artistic process and foster their creativity and confidence. This year’s theme will be “Tap Into Your Creativity” where campers will learn to explore their creativity through exercises and projects designed to draw out the inner artist and foster self-understanding and expression.

Grant funds will make it possible for the library to offer the camp at no cost to Tremont residents, with a sliding fee of $25-$100 for children from neighboring communities. The camp will be held at the library’s temporary location in Pacific Hall in West Tremont.

“The Bass Harbor Memorial Library strives to provide meaningful and enriching programs to the Tremont Community” said Library Director Lisa Murray. “Art Camp has been a summer staple in Tremont for nearly 15 years with children returning year after year until they volunteer as helpers. I’m thrilled the Maine State Library supports the library’s love and dedication to Tremont. To be able to offer the camp for free to our kids is a wonderful gift to this community.”

Camp Director Kathie Pratt wants to expose children to all facets of the creative process and offer them a variety of mentors and materials. She said some children are aware, but some don’t know yet “that all the they need for ideas and expression is already in there. They just need to reach in, trust themselves, and go for it. The hardest part can be getting it from the head, through the hands, and out on paper or other media. That’s where the guest artists and I come in, to help with technique and skills.”

Pratt said, “We prompt the process with seed ideas and themes, such as, What does the REAL you look like? Design your dream car or room. What symbols, animals, or places are meaningful to you?Our role as adults is to prime the pump. This grant allows us to give the kids so many options to try many things in new ways.”

Art & Nature Camp will be held July 29-Aug. 2 at Pacific Hall, the library’s temporary quarters during construction of an addition. Space is limited to 12 campers, aged 7-11 and runs from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. The week culminates with a public reception and celebration on Friday, Aug. 2 at 6 p.m. To register, go the library’s webpage www.bassharborlibrary.com, call 244-3798 or stop in at Pacific Hall, 737 Tremont Road, West Tremont.